robou - Thank you. I had to go look what award it was
Jon Young - Bases everywhere in this scenario, except Bombay. Sinkiang would be the obvious choice as it is closer to resources.
stnylan - The Pacific is going well so far and the USN is crippled so I do not expect the pace to slow down, it will probably increase.
rampagingmouse - All of my bombers and some interceptors will move to Asia, leaving just NAV's and single INT's for patrols of the Pacific. The Soviet airforce is not a major concern. They can have 500 squadrons if they want but if they don't have a base in range it won't help them. There are four Soviet airbases east of the Urals, thats all just four. Of those four only two are close enough to operate CAS and only Vladivostok is in an area I wouldn't want them to be using.
Kanitatlan - Killing their convoys is an interesting idea. I had thought about it but there are a few reasons why I can't really do it. Firstly they have too many convoys and I do not have enough of a Navy to enforce it. Secondly if I am convoy hunting I cannot choose when to fight which means I can easily get 'jumped' by a nasty fleet. I have no spare ships and very little spare IC to build more. Thirdly my Subs are almost useless and sink in large numbers when even one Destroyer finds them.
My policy has been to deny the Pacific to the Allies by removing their ability to Transport troops across it in any large numbers. The fact that there are no 'super' stacks that I can see seems to point to this being a viable tactic.
Places like Ngulu are important and really do have to be removed. Taking it means the AI will lose interest in that area, if I leave it then sooner or later a Super Carrier Fleet will operate around it and that would destroy a large amount of my fleet before I could kill it. I prefer to have a lot of warning before an enemy fleet of that size shows up and if I have to keep monitoring Ngulu it draws my forces away from where they could be. My four NAV's would not fare well against one of these fleets either so I would have to engage them with the IJN if or when they arrive.
Maj. von Mauser - Thanks. Your hopes of the Soviets making the DoW may not be far off the mark. I may not actually have a choice but to be at War with them. You will have to wait until the end of March before I explain why I think they will be the ones making the DoW though
Sokraates - Well the AI cheats so I don't think it likes the sportsman like conduct approach. I would have to edit to do that and you know I hate to do that
alan_le_cowboy - Airbases is a good topic and I covered it somewhat in my reply to rampagingmouse. As a general 'rule' I do not build airbases, Tahiti in my other AAR was an exception. If I build airbases the Soviets can take them and use them, if I protect whats already there it becomes a lot easier to deny them access to a frontline base.
Jushu - It is kind of amusing yes but as has been pointed out 0000 is actually 2 hours after dawn for Japan.
Inner Circle, Delex - Europe is a peaceful continent. Nothing at all is happening and the US still controls Breslau with the Soviets refusing to give up Tirana.
Reado - Mongolia would be a priority certainly but it takes time to march through that territory.
Cpt Rossi, Panzer6, Manziel - Panzer6 and Manziel are correct as usual
The Soviets get stronger and I get weaker in comparison as time passes. The earlier the better and this year would be the best time with the USN crippled for at least a year.
Nathan Madien - Invading the Soviets would liven the AAR up but it is the type of decision that can lose a War so I would only make it for strategic reasons
Tomatoes - Thank you. I do have a plan of course, but its not particularly cunning. I will use Soviet Strategy against them and trade space for time.
I Killed Kenny - The only Soviets I know about are in Vladivostok and the island to the north east. The rest may well be in the west still.
Ruodnane - Very well put
I will say one thing before we all get over excited about the forthcoming War with the Soviets. My 100+ divisions will not be pushing 600 Soviet divisions around anywhere. I might get the jump and manage to advance a little but when they all show up there will only be one direction I will be moving and its not forwards.
I have 16 TAC and 16 CAS which is nowhere near enough to stop the Soviets advancing, I would need at least three times that number to do that. I will be going backwards so you might want to get used to that idea.
Update to follow ...